The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

68

"Ah... This one has been rude." The man bowed slightly and apologized. "This one's name is Yan Zheng. My sincere apologies."

Yan Zheng was handsome, and his peach blossom eyes gave his every glance an indefinable air of affection. He was dressed in a wide-sleeved indigo robe, and all of his gestures and mannerisms revealed a certain charm and elegance.

Shen Yu looked at him for a while. When he felt the increased strength of the arm on his waist, he averted his gaze.

Da Huan had always had open customs, and there was nothing unusual about a man being with another man. Yan Zheng quickly adjusted his expression and looked past Shen Yu and Shang JunLin. "Were the two gentlemen traveling this way? I thought I heard another carriage just now."

"Yes, our carriage is back there," Shen Yu said. "We heard some kind of commotion, so we came over to have a look. What's going on?"

At that moment, Minister Fang, who was dressed in civilian clothes, also walked over. He saw that Shen Yu didn't intend to reveal their identities, so he didn't speak much.

"There was a problem with my carriage, and I collided with another party." Yan Zheng smiled bitterly. "I don't know what happened, but this road is suddenly full of potholes."

Shen Yu looked at the road ahead of them. It was even worse than the portion they'd just traveled. "It was fine when we passed by earlier. That was hardly an hour ago. How did it suddenly become like this?"

Shen Yu remembered that when he left the palace with Shang JunLin, this part of the road wasn't this bad. He didn't know what happened to the road in the past hour.

"To tell the truth, it's not the first time I've encountered this kind of thing. I'm afraid both of you have run into trouble because of me. If I hadn't taken this road, I doubt this would have happened." It wasn't the first time Yan Zheng had seen something like this. He didn't know whether it was just bad luck or someone was making trouble for him.

While they were talking, the servants of the two families finished dealing with the carriage accident.

Yan Zheng apologized by inviting both groups to dinner. As it happened, Shang JunLin wasn't busy today. When he saw that Shen Yu had no objection, he agreed to come.

Coincidentally, Yan Zheng invited them to Yingxing House. When the waiter saw them, he was enthusiastic and hurried up to them.

"Are all of you together? What would you like to order?"

Shen Yu pointed at Yan Zheng to the side. "We're all together. He's the host today. Just ask him."

Yan Zheng was familiar with Yingxing House. He asked for a private room and ordered the restaurant's signature dishes. Then he turned to the other three people. "I ordered a few things at random. If you want anything else, please order it directly."

There was already a lot of food. Shen Yu and Minister Fang thought there was plenty. Shang JunLin, who hadn't spoken much, ordered a few more things.

When Shen Yu heard the names of the dishes, his eyes flashed. They were all his favorite foods.

Madam Fang and Young Lady Fang were female dependents, so Yan Zheng thoughtfully requested a private room for them next to theirs.

Madam Fang, who'd been married for many years, had met Shang JunLin before. She hardly dared to breathe until she was inside the private room.

Fang JiaYi poured a cup of tea for her mother. "Mother, why are you so nervous?"

"It's the first time I've seen that man in regular clothes. I'm not used to it." Madam Fang took a sip of tea and slowly calmed down.